1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for applying a resist coating and developing processes to a substrate such as an LCD glass substrate, a semiconductor wafer, etc, and an etching process to the developed substrate.
2. Discussion of the Background
In the manufacture of liquid crystal displays (LCD) and semiconductor devices, a predetermined film is formed on an LCD glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer. Thereafter, the resultant film is coated with photo resist liquid to form a resist film, and the resist film is exposed corresponding to a circuit pattern, and developed. This is the so-called lithography technique by which a circuit pattern is formed. Thereafter, an etching process is applied to the substrate to form a wire circuit.
Conventionally, there is adopted a layout in which the apparatuses performing each of such processes are intensively provided. In many cases, processing apparatuses for dry systems and processing apparatuses for wet systems are laid out to be separated from each other. Particularly, a cleaning process, which is performed after etching, is a wet process, and the unit for such a cleaning process is intensively provided at a position separating from a dry etching unit.
Regarding resist coating and developing, there is often used an apparatus in which a plurality of process units for performing a series of processes are combined. Even in this case, a coating/developing unit, a film forming unit and an etching unit are separately provided.
Each of the process units for performing the respective processes is thus intensively provided, and this arrangement is seemingly efficient. However, in consideration of a series of processes applied to one substrate, a transferring distance of the substrate extremely increases, thereby bringing about an inefficient result.
A vacuum process system such as a film forming process, an etching process and an ashing process, etc., and a cleaning unit and a resist coating/developing process units are provided at positions which are completely separated from each other. Therefore, for example, when the developing process, the etching process, and the ashing process are sequentially performed, thereafter the substrate is cleaned, and when the substrate is cleaned before or after the film forming process, the substrate transferring distance extremely increases, thereby bringing about an inefficient result.